Field of the Invention
This patent document relates to user removable protective enclosures or cases for mobile devices. More particularly the subject matter of this patent document relates to such cases that have displaced wireless control over one or more operations of the mobile device, such as the operations of a camera feature on a smart phone.
Description of the Related Art
Mobile devices are known to sustain damage from impact, such as from a fall or being dropped by a user and from contamination, such as when damaged by water or other fluid. The damage, for example, may result in a cracked screen, scratches on a finished surface, lost or damaged buttons or controls, cracked or bent external body components, and/or failed or malfunctioning electrical components. Cases have thus been provided to protect mobile devices from such and variant types of damage.
Mobile devices, such as smart phones, tablets and the like, have many built-in features and are increasingly being equipped with built-in camera features. Indeed, it has been reported that nearly one third of all photos are now taken by smart phones. Ergonomically, camera equipped smart phones, however, are not typically optimized for use as cameras in that often times the shutter button or control is not optimally positioned.
For example, shutter control for the camera feature in the iPhone® 5 by Apple® is activated by pressing the plus (“+”) volume control button or tapping the camera shutter button on the screen adjacent the home button. The camera lens is located near the perimeter on the same end of the phone as the volume control button that controls the shutter. Thus, when using the plus volume control button to trigger the camera shutter, it is not uncommon for one or more of the user's fingers to obstruct the camera lens. Alternatively, when using the shutter button in the camera application, it is not uncommon for users to hold the phone on one end (the end where the camera lens is located) with only a single hand and press the shutter button with the free hand on the other end near the home button. Because the user is only holding the phone with one hand, on one end of the phone, around the perimeter, the phone is often unstable, such that when the shutter button on the screen is tapped by the user it tends to move. Zooming by pinching the screen or tapping the screen to select a flash option (e.g., on or off) can also move and destabilize the shot. In either mode of operation, the quality of the photo can be significantly diminished or lost all together, especially in low light conditions. As many smart phone users can attest, the experience can be quite frustrating and can lead to damage of the device by dropping the device unintentionally while attempting to manipulate the device and camera feature options to take a quality photograph.
Accordingly, it is here recognized that there is a need for protective cases for mobile devices that are capable of providing improved safety and user control over one or more operations of the mobile devices and that such user control be wirelessly connected to the mobile device.